Aneibuke
by Yami Mizuna
Summary: This is just a teaser chapter, if I like the results of you guys liking the results, then this will become a legit thing! Rated M just in case. Changes will be made later on. Enjoy!


Kikai Tenokanda: The Legendary Shadow Stalker

 **Year 1: The Village of Shadows**

"He looks like you, Sakumo," whispered a woman, cradling her new-born son in her arms. The baby cried and thrashed his little arms-his head of short silver hair shining in the dim light. His father looked down at him from above, eyes brimming with pride.

"My son," whispered the man and took the child in his own arms.

"What shall we name him, my darling?" asked the woman. Her eyes rested lovingly on the baby's round face.

"We will name him Kakashi," said the father firmly, "Kakashi Hatake-my son."

"I don't want the demon inside of me!" cried a red-haired girl. She hugged the old woman who sat on the bed, as if it would somehow save her from the fate which would soon befall her.

"Hush, child," said the old woman, stroking the girl's long hair. "It's not so bad as it seems."

"But what if," gasped the girl through her tears. She looked up at the old woman's face, desperate for comfort. "What if the demon is too strong for me? What if I can't control it like you do?"

The old woman put her hands on the girl's shoulders and looked softly at her. "Kushina," she said, "you overestimate Kyubi's power. He is strong yes, but there is one way control him."

The girl's eyes opened wide. "How?"

"Listen carefully, child. The only way to counter Kyubi's hate, is with love."

"Love?" said the girl.

"Yes. As long as you have those you love, the ninetail cannot overtake you. Do you understand, Kushina?"

The girl narrowed her eyes determinedly. "I. . . I think so."

A blonde haired woman kneeled over a fresh grave. Her tears flowed freely, masked by the rain that mixed with them.

"Dan," she sobbed, "why? Why did you have to die, too?" She crumbled forward, nails digging into the mud. "You said you were going to become Hokage... How many people have to die chasing that feeble dream?"

The woman stood, face turned toward the clouds above. "Was it my fault?" she whispered. "Was it because of this necklace that you died?"

"Tsunade," said a voice from behind her, "I don't mean to cut you short, but the Hokage is insistent..."

"Sarutobi-sensei..." said the woman under her breath. "Yes, I'm coming."

Chapter 1: A Rogue Ninja Emerges

The rain pounds on the forest. The sound of desperate footsteps is drowned by the incessant roar. The scattering of leaves as they are clumsily tromped through is otherwise silent in comparison to the constant patter. It drowns out the panting lungs, erases the human scent clinging to the trees, floods the footprints indicative of the escaped one. The rain is her perfect ally.

She's been running for hours. Her chakra reserves are low and her limbs weary. She is so close to safety-not close enough to let her guard down. The ones they will have sent to chase her will be strong and persistent. Her only goal: to be stronger, to run farther. If they catch her, they will kill her. She can never go back. She's a missing-nin now. A rogue.

She leaps to the tree branches. From this height she sees the walls of the leaf village in the distance-the faces of the Hokages in the mountainside. She knows if she can reach the village she will find refuge. _He_ will take her in. _He_ will believe her story. She doesn't dare look behind her, but keeps running.

When she reaches the wall it's too easy for her to sneak inside. Her people are bred for stealth. She is an Aneibuke-a shadow stalker. She uses what remaining chakra she can summon to creep within the dark shape cast by the clouds above. She is silent and invisible to the villagers, civilian and shinobi alike. She understands what her people were thinking-that to destroy Konoha from the inside would be such a simple task. She had to put a stop to this sort of thinking. That's why she's running.

Like a shadow herself she moves into the Hokage's building. She phases through the wall to the Hokage's office. The guards don't even detect her. There's a reason she was a legend in her village-she didn't get the title of Legendary Shadow Shinobi for nothing. At last her chakra is depleted. She reveals herself in front of his desk, rising from the ground like an apparition. Naturally he falls back in his seat, throwing the papers he was holding. He jumps to a fighting stance, recognizes her face, and sighs in relief, but still maintains his guard.

"Kikai Tenokanda," he says, "I hope you can explain yourself."

The rogue ninja opens her mouth to speak, but can't find her voice. Her legs quaver, her hair drips cold rain, her eyes roll and she collapses. He jumps up and is at her side in an instant. "Guards!" he shouts. The doors swing open immediately and two shinobi step inside.

"Sir! Who's-"

"But how did she-"

"Fetch me Yami at once! And Tsunade as well! And tell no one about this."

The guards are gone in the next instant. A few minutes pass and one of them returns with a brown-eyed shinobi woman in a mask. The woman immediately falls to the opposite side of the rogue ninja.

"Kikai... When did she get here?" asks the woman.

"She just showed up in my office and collapsed. It appears she's used all of her chakra. Yami, did she not go to you first?"

Yami shakes her head. "The last time I heard from her was the same as you, Sarutobi. Five years ago."

The second guard returns with a young woman with blond pigtails. She looks with surprise at the collapsed bundle between the Hokage and the other woman.

"Tsunade, she has used all of her chakra," says Sarutobi, "and she appears to have other injuries. She needs healing immediately."

Tsunade nods. "I'll see what I can do, sensei."

Sarutobi ushers the guards away and shuts the door. He paces in front of his desk, nervously. "Could Kumorigakure be planning another attack?" he asks.

Yami shakes her head as she looms over Tsunade and the wounded ninja. "That's a good possibility, but it's not like her to show up like this."

Tsunade pauses her healing to glance at her teacher. "Who is this woman, Sarutobi-sensei? I've never seen this headband-"

The fallen ninja coughs suddenly and her eyelids flutter open. She tries to sit up, but Tsunade gently holds her down.

"Don't try to move."

Sarutobi rushes back to her side. "Kikai, can you hear me?"

"Anyone could hear you, idiot," the strange ninja moans, "you're screaming."

Tsunade looks in surprise at the Hokage. How was it acceptable for a foreign ninja to disrespect the Hokage so lightly? Sarutobi merely chuckles and kneels beside her head.

"I would like to say I'm pleased to see you, but I must know," he strokes his brown goatee, anxiety in his eyes, "why are you here, Kikai Tenokanda?"

She closes her eyes and sighs. "I ran from my village," she says. "I'm a rogue ninja, now."

"But why?" asks Yami. "Is there going to be an attack on Konoha?"

Kikai looks up at her old friend and attempts to smile, but frowns instead. "There was going to be," she answers. "But I put a stop to it. Kimagure wanted to, ah," she winces when Tsunade touches a heavy bruise on her side.

"Kimagure? Your kage?" says Sarutobi.

"Yes," she sighs. "He was planning... an attack, but I stopped him... That's why I'm running." She looks Sarutobi in the eye and adds, in a severe tone, "I killed the Bikoukage."

Her eyelids slip shut again. In a half-conscious whisper she says, "I betrayed my village for Konoha... for you. Does that mean... you'll let me... stay..."

Tsunade pauses and stands up. "I've done all I can. She'll need rest and a proper doctor."

"Thank you, Tsunade," Sarutobi says as he scoops the unconscious ninja into his arms. "Yami, do you think you can-"

"Yes, of course," she takes Kikai from him and throws her over her shoulder.

"Sarutobi-sensei!" Tsunade interrupts suddenly. "What's going on? Who is this woman?"

"Tsunade, please, answers will come when they are due. For now, inform Orochimaru of what has happened and warn him to be alert. Assassins may follow this girl into our territory. Do not speak of this to anyone but Orochimaru, do you understand?"

"Yes, but-"

"Tsunade! Do you trust me?"

Tsunade bows her head and sighs. "Yes, sir."

"Then do as I ask! Go!"

Tsunade vanishes. Yami nods at Sarutobi and she too disappears. He sighs heavily and listens to the rain pounding outside. "It was raining the last time, too."

Kikai awoke to the sun shining warmly on her face. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was and she panicked. At home, she slept underground. The sun shouldn't be shining on her face unless she was lost or kidnapped. She stood up and it all came rushing back to her-she was in Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves.

More specifically, she was in someone's living room on their sofa, just beneath an open window. A fluffy orange cat was perched on the window sill, mewling at her, and the scent in the home was familiar. Yami lived there.

"You're awake," came the familiar firm voice from the kitchen. "You've been out for two days."

Yami was a tall woman with tan skin and long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a mask that covered the bottom part of her face, and the most noticeable attribute she had was her thoughtful brown eyes. Five years ago, she and Sarutobi had traveled to Kikai's village to help stop the civil war going on there. Kikai had gotten attached to both of them in the time they had together.

"Breakfast?" Yami asked when Kikai didn't speak. "I made a lot. I know what your appetite is like."

Kikai walked wordlessly into the kitchen, followed by Yami's purring cat. She perked up at the sight of all the food laid out on the table and immediately set to stuffing her face.

"Not even a thank you," Yami sighed, "I see you haven't changed at all." She watched Kikai eat for a few minutes, amused by the concentration on the younger woman's face.

"Sarutobi wants to speak to you, immediately," she continued. "He told me to bring you into his office as soon as you were conscious again."

Kikai put down her fork and sighed heavily. "I'm not in the mood to answer a million questions," she complained.

"Well then you probably shouldn't have shown up in our village looking like you just fought a whole team of shinobi!" Yami snapped.

"Here comes the lecture," Kikai stood up. "I need to get some fresh air."

"Kikai Tenokanda! Stop. Right. There." Yami put her hands on her hips and glared at her. Kikai sighed again and her shoulders sagged.

"Fine, I'll talk to him."

"Don't forget that you are an intruder to this village right now," Yami said angrily. "Until we have your full story, you will be under constant watch from a leaf village shinobi. None of your antics, Kikai!"

"I should have just killed myself when I was exiled. I knew it." She leaned against Yami's door. "Well, don't we have a high and mighty Hokage to visit?"

"I can't believe you!" Yami snapped. "We just saved your life and then you act with such disrespect." She stomped over to Kikai, fire in her eyes that made Kikai shrink a bit. She lifted her hand as if to strike her, but then snatched the headband off her head. "You can't walk around with this on, here. Most people don't even know your village exists. Do you want to advertise the secret village of shadow warriors?"

Kikai grumbled and yanked her headband free from Yami's grip to tuck it into her clothes. "Happy?"

Yami narrowed her eyes. "Follow me."

She led Kikai through the village and back toward the Hokage's home. Kikai took in her surroundings in silence. She had liked Konoha the first time she visited. It was so much brighter and cheerful than Kumori. She remembered wishing she could stay there longer-now the place bitterly reminded her that she would never be able to go home again. She was an outcast. A pariah.

She received strange looks from almost everyone they passed. It probably had to do with her clothes. They were in the typical Aneibuke style. Black and gray with mesh and a belt for all her weapons. They were designed to blend into the darkness and to move with speed and ease. Yami had considered giving her some of her own clothes to change into, but Kikai would have refused anyway. Giving up her headband was bad enough.

The guards to the Hokage's office opened the doors as soon as they saw Yami and Kikai approach. Sarutobi was at his desk with a collection of scrolls laid out in front of him, all with reference to Kumorigakure and its relationship with Konoha. He was muttering under his breath as he read.

"Nara clan... Assassinations and stealth... First Shinobi War..."

Yami cleared her throat.

"Yami! And Kikai!" He rolled up the scrolls at once. "It's about time," he looked directly at Kikai. "I'm going to need to know-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you want." Yami shot her a glare. "Sir," she added hastily. "You want the whole story, right?"

He folded his hands in a steeple and looked intently at her. She sighed, closed her eyes, and began.

"Our village was still being rebuilt after the civil war that happened five years ago," she looked at Sarutobi and Yami, "You remember."

"Anyway," she continued, "that's why we didn't help anyone during the war that just happened. Kimagure wanted us to focus on rebuilding our strength. Or at least, that's what he said..." She gave another long sigh and her eyes clouded a bit as if she were staring at the memory.

"I noticed his behavior change. He spoke to the Aneibuke about power, war, and ambition. He stopped sending us out to help Konoha, and instead sent us on missions from other villages that were against the leaf village. During the second war, he resented your village for its size and strength. He suggested that we could take advantage of the damages you sustained in the war to make our village greater." She clenched her fist. "It was starting to sound like the same old crap."

Yami put a hand on Sarutobi's desk. "But Kimagure helped us put down the rebels that shared the same opinion five years ago."

"I know," said Kikai. "I thought it was strange, too. That's why I started looking into it. I found out that Kimagure and his advisors were planning a massive attack on Konoha. It was a secret attack that would nearly destroy the entire village. And, of course, if it succeeded, the rest of our village would support it."

"There's no one more symbolic to my people than our Bikoukage. Wherever he goes, we follow like shadows. The last rebellion caused a civil war because the Bikoukage wasn't involved. If he were to lead an attack on Konoha... the whole village would follow. I knew that the only way to stop the attack was... to kill Kimagure."

"But why?" asked Sarutobi. "Did you not want your village to prosper? Were your morals really so different from those of the rest of your people? Why support Konoha and not Kumori?"

"It's not like that," Kikai snapped. "I would never try to hurt my village. I understood the desire to be stronger, to prosper, but in the end, if we did attack Konoha, our village would fall apart."

"What do you mean?" Yami asked.

"Think about it. We're a village founded on the principle of stealth. We exist in secrecy so that we can perform our specialty the best. We can't be traced back to other villages and we don't side with anyone. If we became a major village, or made any kind of name for ourselves, we would lose our purpose. Everyone would know that we were responsible for the assassinations occurring in the land. I refused to let my people lose their purpose."

"So you assassinated your Bikoukage."

"...Yes." She sighed yet again. "Maybe it was a mistake, but... It felt necessary at the time. I was caught, but escaped captivity. For obvious reasons I can never go back, but I didn't want to wander, stealing food and money just to survive. I thought that... well, since what I did benefitted your village, and since we were allies all those years ago..."

"You sought refuge here." Sarutobi leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What about it, Sarutobi? Will you let me stay here?" She clasped her hands together and widened her eyes in a pleading expression.

"You've placed me in a difficult position, Kikai." He glanced at Yami, who shrugged, shaking her head. "I could offer you shelter, but what if assassins are sent for you? I will not put my people in danger to protect you, friend or not."

"That won't happen!" Kikai said. "The Bikoukage is the one who sends us on our missions and I killed him. A new Bikoukage won't care about finding me. It's too much work with no reward."

"That may be true. There's also the point that we will not be making enemies or allies with anyone by sheltering you. Even your village will still accept work from us."

"See, there's no negative side! Plus, I can help you! I can be a leaf village shinobi and lend you my strength. Or, if you won't let me be a ninja, I can be your own personal hired blade! If there's anyone you need dead, I can do it without leaving a single trace. They don't call me the Queen of Shadow Stalking for nothing!"

"That's the next problem I'm faced with, Kikai," he said, looking down. "I am well aware of what you're capable of. How am I to trust you not to attack my village on your own? How am I to know that this isn't all a scheme of the shadow village to gain my trust and use you to kill me?"

Kikai opened her mouth as if to retort in disbelief, but her face fell. "I guess I can't prove that that's false." Her spirit seemed to break.

"As Hokage, I cannot assume that you mean no harm," he then added softly, "but as a friend, I know you're telling the truth."

Kikai perked up, a smile beginning to form, "Does this mean-"

"Yes, I will allow you to take refuge in Konoha," he said, "however..." Kikai paused in mid-excited-jump, "until you can prove your loyalty to this village, you will have a guard at all times, to make sure you aren't up to anything."

"What? I have to have a babysitter?!"

"Would you rather I exile you from Konoha as well?"

She lowered her head in defeat.

"Now that that's settled, you will be watched by Yami and the two remaining Sannin. They're the only people aware of your situation who I can trust to control you if you get out of hand. You will be required to have either Yami, Orochimaru, or Tsunade with you wherever you go from here on out."

"The Sannin are your old students, right? What about that other one? The creepy white-haired guy, what's his name, Jominji, Jaka-"

"Jiraiya is in Amegakure training three young orphans right now. It will be either Orochimaru, or Tsunade. And you will be living with Yami, if she's alright with that." He looked carefully at Yami. She simply nodded.

"Good," Sarutobi picked up a pile of papers on the side of his desk, "if that's all, I'm extremely busy. Yami, I'll see you tonight. Kikai..." he looked up at her grinning face and sighed, "please behave. Don't shadow stalk any of my villagers."

"I would never," Kikai bowed.

"Come on," Yami said, walking past her. "I have somewhere I need to be." Kikai trailed after her like a loyal puppy. It was clear that she couldn't be happier with the results of their meeting. Well, there was that one thing...

"Babysat like a child," she grumbled on their way down the stairs. "I learned to throw a kunai when I was six year old and I didn't need a babysitter then. I'm seventeen years old and this is how you people treat me?"

"Oh hush," said Yami. "It's better than you could have gotten. You're lucky Sarutobi thinks so highly of you. He wouldn't do this for just anyone."

"I'm not the only one he thinks highly of," said Kikai mischievously. Yami's mask hid her blush, but Kikai didn't miss the sudden flutter of her eyelashes. "Ha! I knew it!"

"I told you to hush! I won't be harassed by you."

"Where are we going?"

Yami reached her destination, a home on the edge of the village. She knocked on the door. "My uncle's house," she answered.

The door swung open to reveal a man wearing the standard Konohagakure-nin uniform with a flak jacket, short white sleeves, and a belt worn over his right shoulder. His hair was spiky and silver-colored with a ponytail, and hung in a mess over his headband. He smiled warmly when he recognized Yami.

"Ah, hello my niece. I suppose you came to see the baby?"

"Good afternoon, Uncle Sakumo," Yami gave a small bow. "Yes, I came to give him a gift."

"Well then, come on in. Who's this young lady?"

"I'm-" Kikai started.

"Just an old friend of mine," Yami interrupted. She walked over to where a tiny bundle was wrapped up inside of a crib, the blanket covering the bottom half of his sleeping face. Her eyes softened at the sight of him.

"We named him Kakashi," said Sakumo proudly. "His mother just went out to buy some more baby stuff." He laughed heartily.

"He looks just like you, Uncle," said Yami as she pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in the crib next to the baby.

"A book? Yami, most people would give a newborn a rattle or a stuffed animal," Sakumo chuckled.

"It's for children!" Yami protested, pointing out the giant words and pictures of dogs.

"I'm sure he'll like it," said Sakumo. "Or at least like chewing on it."

Yami folded her arms, glaring at Sakumo and Kikai as they laughed out loud. At last she grabbed Kikai by the arm and started for the door. "I hate to cut it short, Uncle, but-"

"Yes, yes, busy as always," Sakumo waved her off and picked up the little boy, who had begun to wake up. "You don't visit very often, Yami. I expect to see more of your involvement in your cousin's life."

"Yes, Uncle Sakumo." She and Kikai went back outside.

"Where to next?" asked Kikai, once again taking in all that was the Leaf Village.

"Orochimaru and Tsunade will need to be informed of their new instructions. I'll take you to meet with both of them."

"Oh yeah, my babysitters..." Kikai's head hung.

"Don't be such a baby," Yami chastised. "Do you think they'll be pleased either? Two Sannin being reduced to escorts for a wily shadow ninja. Pathetic."

Kikai held her tongue as Yami continued to lead her. Children ran through the streets, laughing and playing with each other. The sight made Yami smile. Kikai's grin spread when those children began to argue and finally ran to their parents to diffuse the argument. This village was always so peaceful and full of hope...

"These are the training grounds," said Yami as they approached a series of large plots of land with training dummies sat up at various locations. "Orochimaru's been spending some time here learning a new jutsu."

"Orochimaru..." Kikai narrowed her eyes in concentration, "He's the one Sarutobi thought had so much potential, right? I remember... Sarutobi talked about him all the time, like he was the best ninja to ever honor the village with his presence."

Yami made a scoffing sound under her mask. "Something like that, yes. It's true, Orochimaru is powerful and far more level-headed than his comrades. He spends all of his free time studying or trying to learn new jutsu."

"But?" said Kikai, hearing the hidden meaning in her tone.

"It's nothing," said Yami with a sigh. "He's just got one of those personalities that puts people on edge, I suppose. Not many people like him all that much."

You being one of them, Kikai thought. This new knowledge struck her curiosity and she felt her pace quickening to follow Yami.

They walked past two great training lots and started toward the third. Kikai could make out a figure in the shadow of a tree, head lowered, hands in a chakra gathering sign. Long black hair shrouded a clear image of his body, especially at this distance. He looked up when they were closer and dropped his hands to his side.

"Orochimaru," said Yami with a slight bow of her head.

The man straightened up to look at them. Kikai took a long look at him. Yes, she remembered him from before. They'd only seen each other in passing when Sarutobi was telling his students to cover for him while he was gone, five years ago. He looked older now, all traces of a teenage face gone. His jaw was strong and prominent, his skin as white as snow (that much hadn't changed) and his eyes yellow and curious. He plunged his hands into the pockets of his uniform and nodded at the two of them, though his eyes focused on Kikai in interest.

"Yami," he said in a quiet drawl, "then this must be Kikai Tenokanda. Tsunade told me of you."

"That's right," said Kikai.

"I remember you," Orochimaru continued with the slightest cock of his head. "You came from a village that doesn't exist." There was definitely deep intrigue in his eyes.

"Orochimaru," Yami said in a firm tone, "your mission is not to know why she's here or anything more about the situation for that matter. That is the Hokage's business. You are merely one of this girl's escorts."

"Yes, I understand." He still didn't look at Yami, his eyes scanning Kikai's bizarre, foreign uniform and resting on her bare forehead where her hair naturally parted to the side to make room for a headband she wasn't wearing.

"Thought I might find all of you here," Tsunade's voice called from behind them. She walked up and stood, hands on her hips, frowning at them. "Let's get one thing straight. I don't want to do this. I don't know you, and I don't trust you," she was looking straight at Kikai. "I know that you're a rogue ninja and that's all I really care about. I'll keep an eye on you so that if you try anything, I'll be sure to be the one to put my foot through your chest. So you better tread, carefully, got it?"

"Tsunade!" snapped Yami, "is that any way to speak to a guest of the village?!"

"Guest? She's not a guest and I won't treat her like one. Just letting her stay here puts everyone in the village at risk. I'd tell Sarutobi-sensei myself that he's making a mistake, but he won't hear a word about it."

"As it should be," Yami said dangerously.

"Tsunade," said Orochimaru suddenly, stepping out of the shadow of the tree, "if it's too much trouble for you, I don't mind taking on your part of the work load myself." He sang when he spoke, as if this was all a sort of amusement to him.

"That won't be necessary," Yami interrupted sharply. "Tsunade knows better than to refuse a direct order from the Hokage."

Tsunade glared and spat on the ground. "I'll do it, but I don't have to be happy about it."

"Good, now that that's settled," Yami crossed her arms. "We'll take Kikai in daily shifts unless other missions or errands interfere."

"That sounds reasonable," Orochimaru agreed.

"Fine, whatever." said Tsunade.

"Seeing how I'm very busy today, I'll leave her with one of you for now."

"What am I?" Kikai cried out, "some kind of sacred scroll to be passed around?! I have feelings too, you know!"

"What would you have us do, Kikai?" asked Yami with a condescending glare. "And if you say anything about being allowed to wander on your own, I'll let Tsunade give you that kick she promised."

"I think this plan is great!" Kikai laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Good. You two sort out who'll take her first. I've got somewhere to be." In a poof, Yami was gone.

The two Sannin stared at Kikai with very different expressions. Tsunade's was one of disgust and frustration, as well as guarded envy, perhaps that her sensei should care about Kikai enough to ignore her sound advice. Orochimaru, on the other hand, looked at her with unashamed curiosity and excitement, with a puzzled and analytical expression to match. She shrunk under their hard gazes and looked at the ground, suddenly wanting to become a shadow.

"You take her," snapped Tsunade. "I've got somewhere to be, too." She stomped and turned on her heel, leaving Kikai alone with Orochimaru.

He continued regarding her in silence, a slight breeze playing with his long bangs so that they flicked his face. "You are a rogue ninja, aren't you?" he asked lightly. "That's why you're not wearing that interesting headband of yours. Or is it because the strange symbol on it is a secret, like the village you came from? I remember it well."

"Both," Kikai said carefully. She wasn't sure she liked the way he seemed to be puzzling her out, like some sort of formula. "But that's all you need to know."

A small smile spread over his thin lips and he chuckled. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry."

"No problem," she grunted. "So... Yami said you were learning a new jutsu?"

At last he broke his stare and looked at the training dummy with a scowl. "Yes, but there is only so much this village offers in terms of teaching. The scrolls I study are vague." His eyes lit up. "This secret village of yours... Surely many secret jutsus come from it."

"Maybe," she said with a noncommittal shrug. "Stick around me long enough and you'll probably see plenty of them. I am the Legendary Queen of Shadows, after all!" She said proudly, hands on her hips.

"Is that so?" asked Orochimaru with a bemused expression.

"You bet it is! There's not a shadow style jutsu that I haven't mastered!"

"Mmm, the Nara clan might disagree with that."

"Puhlease," Kikai laughed, "The Nara clan originated from my village. Their jutsus are the kind we teach our children."

"Interesting..."


End file.
